Producing 459kg of milk solids (MS) per cow from 784kg of concentrates in 2020, Thomas and Alan Clarke are farming on a predominantly heavy soils farm. Milking 145 cows on a 59ha platform, the stocking rate is 2.5LU/ha.
At their Signpost farm event the challenges faced by Irish agriculture and the requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were discussed.
The Clarkes have made several change on their farm to improve their sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of their dairy enterprise is .94kg CO2/kg fat and protein-corrected milk.
This figure is .02kg CO2/kg below the average figure of .96kg CO2/kg fat and protein-corrected milk for similar dairy enterprises to the Clarkes.
This figure is generated from the sustainability survey that all farmers have to complete as part of the Bord Bia audit process.
The Clarkes have had a 14% reduction in their carbon footprint between their last two Bord Bia audits. This has been achieved through adopting a number of technologies and farming practices. These include:
Switching to using protected urea instead of CAN.Incorporation of clover into their grass swards.The use of low emission slurry spreading technology.Fencing river courses 1.5m from the river bank.Planting over 500m of new hedgerows.Alan has put a huge effort into improving the breeding of the herd over the years. Coming from a British Friesian base with high fertility when selecting bulls, Alan focuses on fat and protein percentages.
Rivers fenced 1.5m back from the river bank.
By focusing on these traits and grassland management the herd performance has increased from just below 400kg MS/cow in 2016 to 459kg MS/cow in 2020.
Alan started grass measuring in 2016 and since then has increased grass production and utilisation.
Alan Clarke discusses technologies embraced on their farm to reduce their carbon footprint.
“I started grass measuring with the discussion group in 2016. Before that I thought it was a fool’s game but now if I don’t do a grass walk every week I feel lost. I helps keep everything right,” says Alan.
In 2021, he expects to grow around 12.7 T/DM /ha.
More information to follow in next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.
Producing 459kg of milk solids (MS) per cow from 784kg of concentrates in 2020, Thomas and Alan Clarke are farming on a predominantly heavy soils farm. Milking 145 cows on a 59ha platform, the stocking rate is 2.5LU/ha.
At their Signpost farm event the challenges faced by Irish agriculture and the requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were discussed.
The Clarkes have made several change on their farm to improve their sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of their dairy enterprise is .94kg CO2/kg fat and protein-corrected milk.
This figure is .02kg CO2/kg below the average figure of .96kg CO2/kg fat and protein-corrected milk for similar dairy enterprises to the Clarkes.
This figure is generated from the sustainability survey that all farmers have to complete as part of the Bord Bia audit process.
The Clarkes have had a 14% reduction in their carbon footprint between their last two Bord Bia audits. This has been achieved through adopting a number of technologies and farming practices. These include:
Switching to using protected urea instead of CAN.Incorporation of clover into their grass swards.The use of low emission slurry spreading technology.Fencing river courses 1.5m from the river bank.Planting over 500m of new hedgerows.Alan has put a huge effort into improving the breeding of the herd over the years. Coming from a British Friesian base with high fertility when selecting bulls, Alan focuses on fat and protein percentages.
Rivers fenced 1.5m back from the river bank.
By focusing on these traits and grassland management the herd performance has increased from just below 400kg MS/cow in 2016 to 459kg MS/cow in 2020.
Alan started grass measuring in 2016 and since then has increased grass production and utilisation.
Alan Clarke discusses technologies embraced on their farm to reduce their carbon footprint.
“I started grass measuring with the discussion group in 2016. Before that I thought it was a fool’s game but now if I don’t do a grass walk every week I feel lost. I helps keep everything right,” says Alan.
In 2021, he expects to grow around 12.7 T/DM /ha.
More information to follow in next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.
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